MOBILE, Alabama - Janet Bawcom became the Azalea Trail Run's first three-time women's winner on Saturday morning in downtown Mobile. Julius Kogo, like Bawcom a native of Kenya, won the 37th annual Azalea Trail Run in an unofficial time of 27 minutes, 58 seconds by outrunning Cleophas Ngetich of Kenya down Government Street.

Bawcom crossed the finish line 13th overall in the Port City Pacers event. Bawcom, who lives in Flagstaff, Ariz., ran the 10,000 meters for the United States in the 2012 London Olympics. That came a few months after she won the Azalea Trail Run for the second time. She has a three-race winning streak in the ATR, having won in 2011 and 2012 before missing last year's event.

"The atmosphere is so amazing," Bawcom said. "(Mobile Police) Lt. Kay (Taylor) hosted us. She's the best. I felt at home, and that's a good thing. You feel good running when you feel at home."

Bawcom crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 32:02, comfortable ahead of Sophy Jepchirchir of Kenya, the second-place women's finisher.

"I felt good the whole way, although I kind of died off in the middle," Bawcom said. "I wanted to run under 32, so that was my disappointment. But you know what? I was only two or three seconds off, so it's not bad. I was hoping I would get more guys to run with. I took off, I knew what I needed to do and that's what I did, and I'm excited I got a win out of it."

Bawcom had been one of six women to have won the Azalea Trail Run twice, along with Francie Larrieu-Smith in 1990 and 1991, Colleen DeReuck in 1997 and 1999, Gladys Asiba in 2001 and 2002, Sally Barsosio in 2005 and 2006 and Genoviva Kiggen in 2008 and 2009.

The race started under overcast skies with the temperature around 60. The thousands of runners at the starting line on Canal Street had a backdrop of fog as they took their first steps.

Kogo finished second in the ATR in 2012 and, as it turned out, was the top-seeded runner in the field for Saturday's race. Shadrack Kiyai of Kenya, who came within a few steps of winning last year's Azalea Trail Run, was the No. 1 seed for Saturday's race, but did not participate because of illness.

"I want to think God because this is outstanding for me," Kogo said. "I came from Kenya and ran an 8K in New Orleans, and I came straight from there to Mobile, Alabama. I was happy because of the weather today because it allowed me to perform my best."

Ngetich took the lead from the start of the race and was several steps ahead when the lead runners took a right off Canal at the Mardi Gras float - on loan from the Mystic Stripers - onto Broad. He covered the first mile of the 6.2-mile race in 4:25.

By the time the elite men reached Broad and Ann, they were running in a pack of eight. After turning miles of 4:28 and 4:28, Ngetich began to surge ahead, with Kogo running a few steps behind him and the rest of the top contenders beginning to string out and fall away on Fulton.

When Ngetich turned onto Old Government, he was about five steps ahead of Kogo, and the two seemed ready to decide the race between themselves. When the pair passed Airport on Old Government, they were about five seconds ahead of any other runner.

They clicked off a 4:31 fourth mile and a 4:32 fifth mile and were running side by side east on Government Street. By the time they ran past the Taco Bell, Kogo had pulled several steps ahead. He flashed by the belly dancers at Government and Broad on his way to a 4:30 sixth mile and sprinted across the finish line.

"He is my colleague and friend ," Kogo said of Ngetich. "This is the first time for him here. We were pushing each other, so that allowed us to perform our best. Then I decided to push that last mile."